Ruins of Loropéni

Coordinates: 10°18′37″N 3°33′46″W / 10.31028°N 3.56278°W / 10.31028; -3.56278
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ruins of Loropéni
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Remains of defensive walls, May 2016
LocationLoropéni, Loropéni Department, Poni Province, Sud-Ouest Region, Burkina Faso
CriteriaCultural: (iii)
Reference1225rev
Inscription2009 (33rd Session)
Area1.113 ha (2.8 acres)
Buffer zone2.784 km2 (1.1 sq mi)
Coordinates10°18′37″N 3°33′46″W / 10.31028°N 3.56278°W / 10.31028; -3.56278
Ruins of Loropéni is located in Burkina Faso
Ruins of Loropéni
Location of Ruins of Loropéni in Burkina Faso

The ruins of Loropéni (French: Ruines de Loropéni) are a medieval heritage site near the town of Loropéni in southern Burkina Faso. They were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2009. These ruins were the country's first World Heritage site. The site, which spans 1.113 hectares (2.75 acres), includes an array of stone walls that comprised a medieval fortress, the best preserved of ten in the area. They date back at least a thousand years. The settlement was occupied by the Lohron or Kulango people and prospered from the trans-Saharan gold trade, reaching its height between the 14th and 17th centuries. It was abandoned in the early 19th century.[1]

Archeological excavations at the ruins, May 2016

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ruins of Loropéni". UNESCO World Heritage List. Retrieved 12 June 2015.

Further reading[edit]

  • Somé, Magloire, and Lassina Simporé. Lieux de mémoire, patrimoine et histoire en Afrique de l’Ouest: Aux origines des Ruines de Loropéni, Burkina Faso. Archives contemporaines, 2014.
  • Royer, Bertrand. Le fil d’Ariane du patrimoine. Du musée ethnographique de Gaoua au site UNESCO de Loropéni (Burkina Faso). Géographie et cultures 79 (2011): 109-125.
  • Royer, Bertrand. "Patrimoine Mondial de l'Unesco et mise en valeur des ruines de Loropéni." Net et terrain: ethnographie de la n@ture en Afrique (2011): 94-122.

External links[edit]